Injector



Oct. 9, 1945. .1.a HOPPER v Y 2,386,465

INJEGTOR y Filed June 6, 1944' INVENTOR. JAMES B. HOPPER f//s rra/Phan boiler when required.

Patented Oct. 9, 1945 t UNITED STATES PATE NT oFF-ic E f. INJEo'roR James B. Hopper, Lodi, Calif. l Application June 6, 1944, Serial No. 5385952 slclaims.` (131.1225456) The present invention relates to -improvements in an injector for automatically replenishing the `water supply of a boiler with preheated feed water at regular intervals, when requisite, wherein auxiliary and reserve'tanks connected thereto y operate in conjunction with control valves actu` ated'by the lowering and raising-ofthey water level within said boiler to automatically provide the required replenishment .tol maintain' a'substantially constant ,water level at a substantially constant temperature and' asubstantially constant production of steam.

The primary object of the present invention, then, -is to provide a newA vand improved injector of the character set forth having improved'means for lautomaticallymaintaining a substantiallyi constant water level within a Asteam boiler.

connected to and operated by the arm 30 of a ball iioat I4 pivotally mounted within the auxiliary tank IiV and between upper and lower springs 3| and 32, respectively, mounted upon the lower end ofthe said stem I2 which extends down-y wardly through'the two-way trip-valve 9 and into said tank 6.- The upper seat I0 of the valve 9 isvypro'vided with vents I5 leading to the atmos- Another objectis to provide anew and'improved injector having a greatly simplified construction, economy of operation, and a maximum efficiency. Y

A further object is to provide anew and im^ proved injector of the type described having improved means for preheating and holdingfin reserve a supply of water for injection into said Il accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawing formingfa part of the in which Fig.` l is a vertical sectional view, partly schematic, of a steam boiler with my improved injec-v tor connected thereto; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the auxiliary tankrrand valve control connected thereto.l

Referring to the drawing: l 'I'he numeral I is used to designate in general a steam boiler provided with a suitable burner 2y and vertically disposed pipes 3 for conveying the products of combustion through said-V boiler I and the usual water therein to a suitable stack 4. An auxiliary tank-6 adjacent said boiler I'has` a drain 'I connecting the bottom thereof to the lower portion' of the boiler` I,fwhile`a steam bypass 8 connects thek upper portion of said boiler l with the Vupper portion ofthe auxiliary tank 6, the purpose of which will hereinafter be more' fully-set forth. f y l A two-way trip-valve 9 is mountedupon the tank and connectedthereto, and encloses upper present application. and

and lower values Ill and I I, respectively, mounted phere.

A reserve tank I6 is mounted upon one end of the tank'l and ahas ailoat valve IIcagedin the upper part thereof to control entrance to a chamber I8 on top of said reserve I6 from which chamber I8 a pipe I9 or other suitable connection leads to the valve 9 ata point midway between the seats Ill' and II' of the valve 9. A by-pass 20 leads from the pipe I9 to a point in said valve 9 above the upperv valve seat I0' and valve I0 thereof.

A water supply pipe 2l, leading from a water source, not shown, is provided with a constant pressure regulating valve 22, to control the pressure'of said water supply to said tank 6, and a steam pressure regulating valve 23 and a check Valve 24 to prevent a return flow of water from said tank 6 to said` supply. Beyond the check valve 24 the'water pipe 2| divides intoa Y, the upper `branch of which is freely connected to the lower portion of the reserve tank I6 while the oppositebranch of said Y` is connected to the tank 6 and is provided with a check valve 26 to permit water to flow into said Ytanlel from said pipe 2| or tank I6, but to prevent a return flow of water from-said tank 6.

In operation:

Normally, the level and temperature Yof the water `and steam in the boiler I and auxiliary tank 6 are maintained substantially equal by means of theconnections 'l and 8. The steam pressure andi heat thereof, then, in addition to preheatingthe water in the reserve I6, also presses the valve Il against its seat I I,when the ball `:float I4 is up, until `the water. level drops said-ball iloat I4 to a point Where the arm 30 compresses, :by means of increasedy leverage, the lower spring 32Qupon thestem I2 .until the tension'Y of said spring 32 is sufficient to unseat thevalve II and to seat the valve I0 upon its ventedseat. 10', thereby closing the connection o1' pipe` I9 tothe atmosphere. g 'I'he'valve `Il being open, steam passesfrom the tank 6, throughy pipe I9 into the chamber I8 and againstfthe enlarged `and* flatLvalve I1. As thei 'steam `Vpressure is. greater than, the normal opened andthe pressure. exerted by the steam on top of the water in the reserve I6 forces said water through the Y, check valve 26 and into the tank 6.

When the tank 6 is thus replenished, the rising water level therein raises the ball oat I4 until its arm compresses the upper spring 3| sufliciently to close the lower valve Il and open the upper valve I0, thereby uncovering the vents I5 and opening the pipe I9, through the by-pass 20, and the upper part of the reserve I6 'to the atmosphere, so that the normal pressure of the supply pipe 2l mayrei'lll the reserve I6 until the water level thereof engages the float valve I'I and closes the same against the opening of the cham# As the top of the reserve tank I6 is ber I8. thus closed, the flow of water thereinto will cease as soon as the air above it is compressed to a suiicient degree to resist further iloW.-

The pressure regulator indicated schematically at 22 is provided to prevent a sudden 4inrush of cold water into the tank 6 and boiler I, in case the pressure and temperature of said boilerl should inadvertently or otherwise drop to a pressure below the normal pressure of the water supply. Similarly, inl reverse, the steam pressure regulating valve indicatedschematically at 23; is provided to prevent an excessive steam pressure from backing up and escaping into said water pipe 2L By means of the foregoing, it is obvious that I have provided a greatly simpliiied, economically operated and eiiicient automatic injector for automatically maintaining a substantially constant water level within a boiler and replenishing the same with a supply of automatically preheated feed water so that no excessive variations and loss of power or steam is permitted, thus preventing a loss of time and the use of the boiler.

Having described my invention; I claim:

l. An injector comprising the combination with a boiler of an auxiliary tank; connectionsfrom the top and bottom of said boiler to the top and bottom of said auxiliary tank; a reserve tank mounted upon and in contact with said auxiliary tank; a connection from the top of said auxiliary to the top of said reserve; valve means interposed in said last connection and normally actuated by a water level within said boiler and'auxiliary tankto permit the passage of steam from said auxiliary into the top of said'reserve to force water therein into said auxiliary tank; a connection from the bottom of said reserve to said auxiliary tank; and a ball iioat caged within the upper portion of said reserve and actuated by a rising water level therein to close the connection from the top ofsaid reserve to said auxiliary. 1

2. An injector comprising the combination with a boiler of an auxiliary tank; connections from the top and bottom of said boiler to the top and bottom of said auxiliary tank; a reserve tank mounted upon and in contact withsaidauxiliary tank; -a connection from the top of said auxiliary to .the top of said reserve; valve means inter-Y posed in'said last connection and normally actuated by a water level within said boiler and auxiliary tank to permit a. passage of steam from said auxiliary to said reserve; a connection from the bottom of said reserve to said auxiliary tank; a ball iioat caged within-the upper end of said reserve and actuated by a rising water level with-v in said. reserve to. close the connection from the top thereof to the'top of said auxiliary; a, connection fromA the bottom of saidreserve to said auxiliary;.a check valve mounted in said connection between the bottom of the reserve and said auxiliary and arranged to permit passage from said reserve into said auxiliary only; a water supply pipe connected to said connection at a point above the check valve therein; and means in said water supply pipe to prevent a return flow of water therethrough.

3. -An injector comprising the combination with a boiler of an auxiliary tank adjacent thereto; `a drain connecting the lower portion of said auxiliary with the lower portion ofvsaid boiler; a steam by-pass connecting the upper portion of said boiler with the upper portion of said auxiliary; a reservetank mounted upon and in con- .tact with one end of said auxiliary; a two-way trip-valve mounted upon and connected to said auxiliary and provided with Vents; a connection from saidV valve to the upper end of said reserve; valve` means mounted within said two-way tripvalve and extending into said auxiliary and actuated by a falling water ievel within said auxiliary to connect the same with the upper portion of said reserve and actuated by a rising water level to connect said reserve with said vents; and a ball float pivotally mounted withinv said auxiliary and operatively connected to said trip-valve to operate the same.

4 An injector comprising the combination with aboiler of an auxiliary tank adjacent thereto; a drain connecting the lower portion of said auxiliary with the lower portion ofV said boiler; a steam by-pass connecting the upperportion of said boiler with the upper portion of said auxiliary; a reserve tank mounted upon and in contact with said auxiliary; a two-way trip-valve mounted upon and connected to `said auxiliary and provided with vents; a connection from said valve to the upper end of said reserve; Valve means mounted within said two-way trip-valve and extending into said auxiliary; and a ball float pivotally mounted within said auxiliary and operatively connected to said valve and actuated by a falling water level to open said valve and said auxiliary to said reserve and to close said vents, and actuated by a rising waterlevel to close said auxiliary to said reserve vand to Aopen said reserve to said vents; and a connection from the bottom'of said reserve to said auxiliary.

5. An injector comprising the combination with a boiler of an auxiliary tank adjacentrthereto; a drain connecting the lower portion of said auxiliary with the lower portion of said boiler; a steam by-pass connecting the upper portion of said boiler with the upper portionof said auxiliary; a reserve tank mountedupon and in contact with said auxiliary; a two-way trip-Valve mounted upon and connected to said auxiliary and provided with vents; a connection from said Valve to the upper end of said reserve; valve means mounted Within said two-way trip-valve and extending into said auxiliary; a water connection between the bottom of said reserve and said auxiliary; a checkvalve in said connection to permit a flow from said reserve to said auxiliary only; a ball float pivotally mounted within said auxiliary and operatively connected to said valve and actuated by a falling water level to open said valve and auxiliary to the top of said reserve and to close said vents, and actuated by a rising water level to close said auxiliary to said reserve and to open said reserve to said vents; acaged float valve within said reserve to close the same to said vents whensaid reserve islled.

' JAMES B.l HOPPER." 

